Japan
Rebecca Milner, Ray Bartlett, Andrew Bender, Stephanie d’Arc Taylor,
Samantha Forge, Craig McLachlan, Kate Morgan, Thomas O’Malley,
Simon Richmond, Phillip Tang, Benedict Walker.
# ^ # _ Kyoto p313 Tokyo p88 Sapporo & Hokkaidō p589 Shikoku p662 Kyūshū p712Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
p783
Kansai
p367
The Japan Alps & Central Honshū p224 Mt Fuji & Around Tokyo p167 Northern Honshū (Tōhoku) p521 Hiroshima & Western Honshū p454
Welcome to Japan . . . . 6
Japan’s Top 24 . . . . 10
Need to Know . . . . 24
First Time Japan . . . . 26
What’s New . . . . 28
If You Like . . . . 29
Month by Month . . . . 32
Itineraries . . . . 36
Off the Beaten Track . . . 48
Japan by the Seasons . . .50
Activities . . . . 55
Eat & Drink
Like a Local . . . . 66
Travel with Children . . . . 80
Japan on a Budget . . . . . 82
Regions at a Glance . . . . 84
TOKYO . . . . 88
History . . . . 92
Sights . . . . 92
Activities . . . . 120
Courses . . . . 124
Tours . . . . 126
Festivals & Events . . . . 126
Sleeping . . . . 126
Eating . . . . 134
Drinking & Nightlife . . . . . 146
Entertainment . . . . 152
Shopping . . . . 155
Information . . . . 161
Getting There & Away . . . 162
Getting Around . . . . 162
MT FUJI &
AROUND TOKYO . . . . 167
Mt Fuji &
Fuji Five Lakes . . . . 169
Mt Fuji . . . . 170
Yokohama . . . . 178
Kamakura . . . . 184
Hakone . . . . 189
Hakone-Yumoto . . . . 191
Miyanoshita &
Kowakidani . . . . 192
Chōkoku-no-Mori
& Gōra . . . . 192
Sōun-zan &
Sengokuhara . . . . 193
Hakone-machi &
Moto-Hakone . . . . 196
Izu Peninsula . . . . 197
Atami . . . . 197
Itō . . . . 198
Shimoda . . . . 201
Shirahama . . . .204
Kisami . . . .204
Dōgashima . . . .205
Shuzen-ji Onsen . . . .206
Izu Islands . . . . 207
Ō-shima . . . .208
Nii-jima . . . .209
Shikine-jima . . . .209
Hachijō-jima . . . .209
Chichibu & Oku-Tama . . .210
Takao-san . . . . 210
Oku-Tama . . . . 210
Nikkō & Around . . . .211
Nikkō . . . . 212
Chūzen-ji Onsen . . . . 217
Yumoto Onsen . . . . 218
Narita . . . . 219
Ogasawara
Archipelago . . . . 220
Chichi-jima . . . . 221
Haha-jima . . . . 222
THE JAPAN ALPS &
CENTRAL HONSHŪ . .224
Nagoya & Around . . . . . 225
Nagoya . . . . 225
Inuyama . . . .236
Gifu . . . .238
Gujō-Hachiman . . . .240
Kiso Valley
Nakasendō . . . .241
Magome . . . . 242
Tsumago . . . . 243
Kiso . . . .244
Narai . . . . 245
Hida Region . . . . 246
Takayama . . . .246
Hida-Furukawa . . . . 252
Okuhida Onsen-gō . . . . 252
Shirakawa-gō
& Gokayama . . . . 255
Kanazawa &
the Hokuriku Coast . . . . 261
Kanazawa . . . . 261
Noto Peninsula . . . .269
Kaga Onsen . . . . 274
Fukui . . . . 275
ON THE ROAD
PLAN
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RICHIE CHAN /SHUTTER S TOCK ©CHERRY BLOSSOMS, TOKYO P88 G UIT AR PHO TOGR APHER /SHUTTER ST OCK © FUSHIMI INARI-TAISHA P315
Contents
Toyama . . . . 276
Takaoka . . . . 278
The Northern
Japan Alps . . . . 279
Matsumoto . . . . 281
Azumino . . . .286
Shirahone Onsen . . . . 287
Kamikōchi . . . .288
Hakuba . . . .290
Nagano & Around . . . . . 293
Nagano . . . .294
Togakushi . . . .298
Obuse . . . .299
Nozawa Onsen . . . . 301
Myōkō Kōgen . . . .303
Shiga Kōgen . . . .303
Bessho Onsen . . . .304
Karuizawa . . . .305
Gunma Prefecture . . . . 307
Takasaki . . . . 307
Minakami Onsen-kyo . . . .308
Kusatsu Onsen . . . . 311
KYOTO . . . . 313
History . . . . 315
Sights . . . . 315
Activities . . . .338
Courses & Tours . . . .340
Festivals & Events . . . .342
Sleeping . . . .342
Eating . . . .350
Drinking & Nightlife . . . . .358
Entertainment . . . .360
Shopping . . . .362
Information . . . .364
Getting There & Away . . .364
Getting Around . . . .365
KANSAI . . . . 367
Osaka . . . . 370
Kōbe . . . . 393
Himeji . . . . 399
Nara Prefecture . . . . 401
Nara . . . .402
Asuka . . . . 415
Yoshino . . . . 417
Kii Peninsula . . . . 419
Kōya-san . . . .420
Kumano Kodō . . . .426
Ise-Shima . . . . 435
Shiga Prefecture . . . . 439
Ōtsu . . . .440
Hikone . . . .442
Northern Kansai . . . . 442
Ōhara . . . .443
Kurama & Kibune . . . .445
Miyama . . . . 447
Amanohashidate . . . .449
Kinosaki Onsen . . . .450
HIROSHIMA & WESTERN
HONSHŪ . . . .454
Hiroshima . . . . 455
Miyajima . . . .465
Saijō . . . .468
Iwakuni . . . .469
Onomichi & the
Shimanami Kaidō . . . . 469
Onomichi . . . . 471
Inno-shima . . . . 472
Ikuchi-jima . . . . 472
Ōmi-shima . . . . 473
Okayama &
the Inland Sea . . . . 474
Okayama . . . . 474
Naoshima . . . . 479
Teshima . . . .484
Shōdo-shima . . . .485
Kurashiki . . . . 487
Kasaoka Islands . . . .490
Tomo-no-ura . . . . 491
Tottori, Shimane &
the San’in Coast . . . . 492
Tottori . . . .492
San-in Coast
National Park . . . .494
Daisen . . . .495
Sakaiminato . . . .495
Oki Islands . . . .496
Matsue . . . .499
Izumo . . . .503
Iwami Ginzan . . . .505
Yamaguchi & Around . . .506
Yamaguchi . . . . 507
Tsuwano . . . . 510
Hagi . . . . 513
Shimonoseki . . . . 517
NORTHERN HONSHŪ
(TŌHOKU) . . . . 521
Miyagi Prefecture . . . . . 525
Sendai . . . . 525
Matsushima . . . . 531
Ishinomaki . . . . 532
Naruko Onsen . . . . 533
Iwate Prefecture . . . . 534
Morioka . . . .534
Hiraizumi . . . . 537
Tōno . . . .539
Sanriku Kaigan . . . . 541
Minami-Sanriku
& Kesennuma . . . .543
Rikuzen-takata
& Ōfunato . . . .543
Kamaishi & Ōtsuchi . . . .545
Miyako . . . .546
Aomori Prefecture . . . . 547
Aomori . . . . 547
Hirosaki . . . .550
Towada-ko . . . .554
Hakkōda-san . . . .556
Shimokita Peninsula . . . . .557
Akita Prefecture . . . . 558
Akita . . . .558
Kakunodate . . . .562
Tazawa-ko . . . .563
Nyūtō Onsen . . . .565
Yamagata Prefecture . . . 566
Yamagata . . . . 567
Yamadera . . . . 567
Zaō Onsen . . . .569
Ginzan Onsen . . . . 571
Tsuruoka . . . . 571
Dewa Sanzan . . . . 572
Sakata . . . . 574
Niigata Prefecture . . . . 575
Niigata . . . . 575
Sado-ga-shima . . . . 578
Echigo-Yuzawa Onsen . . . 582
Naeba . . . .584
Fukushima
Prefecture . . . . 585
Aizu-Wakamatsu . . . .585
Bandai Plateau . . . . 587
SAPPORO &
HOKKAIDŌ . . . . 589
Sapporo . . . . 595
Central Hokkaidō . . . . .604
Niseko . . . .604
Otaru . . . . 610
Shikotsu-Tōya
National Park . . . . 613
Tomakomai . . . . 619
Hakodate . . . . 619
Northern Hokkaidō . . . 625
Asahikawa . . . .626
Biei . . . .628
Furano . . . .629
Daisetsuzan
National Park . . . . 631
Wakkanai . . . . 637
Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu
National Park . . . .639
Eastern Hokkaidō . . . . . 645
Abashiri . . . .645
Shari . . . . 647
Shiretoko
National Park . . . .648
Akan National Park . . . . . 654
Kushiro . . . .660
Kushiro-shitsugen
National Park . . . .660
Tokachi . . . . 661
SHIKOKU . . . . 662
Tokushima
Prefecture . . . . 666
Tokushima . . . .666
Naruto . . . . 671
The Anan Coast . . . . 675
Iya Valley . . . . 679
Kōchi Prefecture . . . . 685
Kōchi . . . .685
Shimanto City . . . .689
Ashizuri-misaki . . . .690
Ehime Prefecture . . . . 691
Matsuyama . . . . 691
Ishizuchi-san . . . .698
Uchiko . . . .699
Uwajima . . . .700
Kagawa Prefecture . . . . 702
Takamatsu . . . . 703
Yashima . . . .706
Marugame . . . . 707
Zentsuji . . . .708
Kotohira . . . .708
Kanonji . . . . 711
KYŪSHŪ . . . .712
Fukuoka & Around . . . . 713
Fukuoka . . . . 713
Dazaifu . . . . 722
Karatsu . . . . 723
Imari . . . . 725
Arita . . . . 726
Hirado . . . . 727
Nagasaki & Around . . . 729
Nagasaki . . . . 729
Shimabara Peninsula . . . . 740
Kumamoto & Around . . 743
Kumamoto . . . . 743
Aso-san . . . . 746
Kurokawa Onsen . . . . 750
Takachiho . . . . 751
Oita Prefecture . . . . 754
Beppu . . . . 754
Yufuin . . . .760
Kunisaki Peninsula . . . . 762
Usuki . . . . 763
Southern Kyūshū . . . . . 764
Kagoshima . . . . 764
Sakurajima . . . . 771
Satsuma Peninsula . . . . . 772
ON THE ROAD
GO WITHS TOCK /SHUTTER ST OCK © OSAKA P370Contents
Kirishima-Kinkōwan
National Park . . . . 775
Miyazaki . . . . 777
Aoshima . . . .780
Nichinan Coast . . . . 781
Obi . . . . 781
OKINAWA &
THE SOUTHWEST
ISLANDS . . . . 783
Ōsumi Islands . . . . 787
Yakushima . . . . 787
Tanegashima . . . . 792
Amami Islands . . . . 793
Amami-Ōshima . . . . 794
Yoron-tō . . . . 797
Okinawa-hontō . . . . 798
Naha . . . . 798
Southern
Okinawa-hontō . . . .806
Motobu Peninsula . . . .807
Kerama Islands . . . . 808
Aka-jima . . . .808
Zamami-jima . . . .809
Kume-jima . . . . 810
Miyako Islands . . . . 812
Miyako-jima . . . . 813
Irabu-jima
& Shimoji-jima . . . . 816
Yaeyama Islands . . . . 817
Ishigaki-jima . . . . 817
Iriomote-jima . . . .823
Taketomi-jima . . . .825
Hateruma-jima . . . .826
Yonaguni-jima . . . . 827
Japan Today . . . . 830
History . . . . 832
The People of Japan . . .848
Arts . . . . 854
Architecture
& Gardens . . . . 864
Environment . . . . 868
Sport . . . 873
Traditional
Accommodation . . . . 876
Directory A–Z . . . . 880
Transport . . . . 890
Language . . . . 903
Index . . . . 913
Map Legend . . . . 926
SURVIVAL
GUIDE
UNDERSTAND
SPECIAL FEATURES
Off the
Beaten Track . . . . . 48
3D Tokyo
National Museum
Illustration . . . .102
3D Tōdai-ji
Illustration . . . . . 404
COWARDLION /SHUTTER STOCK © PATTILABELLE /GETTY IMA GES © B-HIDE THE SCENE /SHUTTER STOCK © PIUS99/GETTY IMA GES © COWARDLION /SHUTTER STOCK © Kokuzo BosatsuSeated to the left of the Daibutsu is Kokuzo Bosatsu, the bodhisattva of memory and wisdom, to whom students pray for help in their studies and the faithful pray for help on the path to enlightenment.
Buddhas Around Dainichi
Sixteen smaller Buddhas are arranged in a halo around the Daibutsu’s head, each of which symbolises one of the Daibutsu’s diff erent manifestations. They are graduated in size to appear the same size when viewed from the ground.
Komokuten
Standing to the left of the Daibutsu is Komokuten (Lord of Limitless Vision), who serves as a guardian of the Buddha. He stands upon a demon (jaki), which symbolises ignorance, and wields a brush and scroll, which symbolises wisdom.
The Daibutsu (Great Buddha)
Known in Sanskrit as 'Vairocana' and in Japanese as the 'Daibutsu', this is the Cosmic Buddha that gives rise to all other Buddhas, according to Kegon doctrine. The Buddha’s hands send the messages 'fear not' and 'welcome'.
Tamonten
To the right of the Daibutsu stands Tamonten (Lord Who Hears All), another of the Buddha’s guardians. He holds a pagoda, which is said to represent a divine storehouse of wisdom.
Hole in Pillar
Behind the Daibutsu you will nd a pillar with a 50cm hole through its base (the size of one of the Daibutsu’s nostrils). It’s said that if you can crawl through this, you are assured of enlightenment.
Nyoirin Kannon
Seated to the right of the Daibutsu is Nyoirin Kannon, one of the esoteric forms of Kannon Bodhisattva. This is one of the bodhisattva that preside over the six diff erent realms of karmic rebirth. FACT FILE THE DAIBUTSU Height 14.98m Weight 500 tonnes Nostril width 50cm
THE DAIBUTSU-DEN HALL
Height 48.74m Length 57m Number of roof tiles 112,589 Tōdai-ji VISIT THE GREAT BUDDHA The Daibutsu (Great Buddha) at Nara’s Tōdai-ji is one of the most arresting sights in Japan. The awe-inspiring physical presence of the vast image is striking. It’s one of the largest bronze Buddha images in the world and it’s contained in an equally huge building, the Daibutsu-den Hall, which is among the largest wooden buildings on earth. Tōdai-ji was built by order of Emperor Shōmu during the Nara period (710–784) and the complex was finally completed in 798, after the capital had been moved from Nara to Kyoto. Most historians agree the temple was built to consolidate the country and serve as its spiritual focus. Legend has it that over two million labourers worked on the temple, but this is probably apocryphal. What’s certain is that its construction brought the country to the brink of bankruptcy. The original Daibutsu was cast in bronze in eight castings over a period of three years. It has been recast several times over the centuries. The original Daibutsu was covered in gold leaf and one can only imagine its impact on Japanese visitors during the eighth century AD. The temple belongs to the Kegon school of Buddhism, one of the six schools of Buddhism popular in Japan during the Nara period. Kegon Buddhism, which comes from the Chinese Huayan Buddhist sect, is based on the Flower Garland Sutra. This sutra expresses the idea of worlds within worlds, all manifested by the Cosmic Buddha (Vairocana or Dainichi Nyorai). The Great Buddha and the figures that surround him in the Daibutsu-den Hall are the perfect physical symbol of this cosmological map.
Plan Your Trip
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• • • S E A O F J A PA N TOKYO Miyajima Hakone Himeji Nara Hiroshima Kyoto Osaka Honshū Shikoku É É É É É É É ÉItineraries
Tokyo, Kyoto & Hiroshima
This classic route for first-time visitors
hits many of Japan’s star attractions, can
be done year-round and takes advantage
of the excellent value and seamless
travel offered by a Japan Rail Pass.
Start with a couple of days in
Tokyo,
get-ting your bearings and a taste of big-city
Japan – the skyscrapers, the bustle and all
those lights. Then hop on the bullet train
for
Kyoto. (If you wait until now to
acti-vate your rail pass, you can get by with a
seven-day pass.)
You’ll need two or three days to sample
the best of Kyoto’s temples and gardens.
From here you can make side trips to
Nara, home of the Daibutsu (Great
Bud-dha), and
Osaka, famous for its vivid
nightscape and street food. Then head
west on to
Himeji to see Japan’s best
cas-tle, Himeji-jō.
Next stop is
Hiroshima, for the moving
Peace Memorial Park. Further down the
coast is
Miyajima, with its photogenic
floating shrine. You can spend the night in
a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) here
before making the train journey back to
Tokyo. On your way back there, drop into
the mountain hot-spring resort of
Hakone
to get your onsen fix.
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R # # # # # # # # # ## • • • • • • • • • •• Honshū Northern J apan Alps Mt Fuji (3776m) Shin-Hotaka Onsen Kanazawa Takayama Shirakawa-gō Nara Gokayama Kamikōchi Matsumoto Nagano Obuse Kyoto É É É É É É É
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This route highlights Japan’s traditional
culture and its natural beauty. As snow can
close mountain passes in winter, it is best
undertaken in spring, summer or autumn.
Spend the first few days in
Kyoto exploring the
city’s famous temples, shrines and gardens. Be
sure to budget some time for the less-famous
ones too, which are more peaceful, and for a day
trip to
Nara. Both Kyoto and Nara have
excel-lent national museums with classical art and
artefacts. In the evenings, stroll Kyoto’s historic
geisha district.
Next take the train to
Kanazawa, a city
that, in its heyday, rivalled Kyoto in its
con-tributions to the arts. As befitting its location
near the Sea of Japan, Kanazawa is known for
excellent seafood, but also for its lasting artisan
tradition and its strolling garden, Kenroku-en.
Both Kyoto and Kanazawa are excellent places
to shop for traditional crafts.
Now get a car and head for the mountains of
Hida. The villages of
Shirakawa-gō and
Gokayama are famed for their farmhouses
with dramatically angled thatched roofs.
Con-tinue to
Takayama, a charming old post town
with well-preserved wooden buildings (now
housing galleries, sake breweries and craft
shops) and narrow streets.
Then head to
Shin-Hotaka Onsen for
out-standing rustic onsen (hot springs) and ryokan
(traditional Japanese inns), followed by a visit
to
Kamikōchi for alpine scenery and hiking
(closed from 15 November to 22 April). You’ll eat
well travelling in the mountains: local
speciali-ties include soba (buckwheat noodles), beef,
hoba-miso (sweet miso paste grilled on a
mag-nolia leaf) and foraged mushrooms and shoots.
From here drive east to the castle town of
Matsumoto, home to one of Japan’s best
origi-nal castles, Matsumoto-jō. Near Nagano, pretty
Obuse, another well-preserved mountain town,
is home to the Hokusai Museum. End your trip
in
Nagano with a visit to the city’s impressive
temple, Zenkō-ji.
Nagano has a
shinkansen (bullet train)
sta-tion, so you can catch a train onward or drive
straight on to Narita Airport.
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Japan often feels like a destination that
requires a long trip and advance planning,
but it needn’t be. In and around Tokyo you
can cover a lot of varied terrain, taking in
both contemporary and traditional Japan.
Base yourself in
Tokyo and do day trips or hop
around. In three or four days you can take in
the capital’s highlights, eating well, and still
have time to explore some of its less touristy
neighbourhoods, like Shimo-Kitazawa and
Kōenji.
Mt Fuji is open to hikers from June through
mid-September; you can do it as one long
over-night climb – to hit the summit for sunrise – or
stay a night in a mountain hut. Year-round, visit
the Fuji Five Lakes region for views of the iconic
volcano.
For temples and shrines head north to
Nikkō, with 17th-century structures set among
cedars, or south to
Kamakura, a one-time
medieval capital with many Zen temples. On
the Pacific coast, Kamakura is also a hip beach
town with cafes and surf shops.
Round off your trip with a visit to the
hot-spring resort
Hakone. There are spa complexes
here for day trippers, or you can splurge on a
night in a ryokan.
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Kumano Kodō Shingū Kōya-san Osaka Nara Kyoto Asuka Sakurai Hongū Nachi-Katsuura Kansai International Airport Honshū É É É É É É É É É É42
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Take a slow, deep dive into Japanese history
and culture; you’ll cover a lot without having
to travel far. Arranged with public transport
in mind, this itinerary is possible year-round,
though Kōya-san will be cold and possibly
snowy in winter. Fly in and out of Kansai
International Airport.
Start with
Kyoto, Japan’s cultural storehouse,
and spend several leisurely days exploring. Then
head to
Nara – not for the typical day trip – but
for a few days’ trip. Beyond the city there are
fascinating historic temples, very old shrines
and country rambles around
Sakurai and
pre-Buddhist burial mounds around
Asuka.
Then pop over to
Osaka for a jolt of city
life, before taking the train to
Kōya-san. This
mountain monastery was founded in the 8th
century and is still active today; spend the night
in a temple for a taste of monk life.
Buses run April through November to your
next destination, the ancient pilgrim trails of
the
Kumano Kodō. Outside of these months
you’ll need to do some backtracking via train.
Spend a few days walking through woods and
rural hamlets, to temples, shrines and some of
Kansai’s best onsen between
Hongū, Shingū
and
Nachi-Katsuura.
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Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaidō,
has much of what you want out of Japan:
steaming onsen and rugged, volcanic
peaks, city lights and foodie cred, as well
as something you wouldn’t expect – the
opportunity for an epic road trip. Snow falls
early in Hokkaidō, so this is a summer trip.
Start in
Hakodate, Hokkaidō’s southernmost
port, which has a charming 19th-century city
centre. The journey here by
shinkansen (bullet
train) takes four hours from Tokyo (though it’s
probably cheaper to fly).
After a fresh seafood breakfast at Hakodate’s
fish market, pick up a rental car and drive to
Shikotsu-Tōya National Park, home to caldera
lakes and an active volcano. Budget time to soak in
the springs of Noboribetsu Onsen inside the park.
Next stop:
Sapporo, Hokkaidō’s capital city
(and Japan’s fifth-largest). Get your city fix here,
basking in the bright lights of the Susukino
district. Then head to Hokkaidō’s second city,
Asahikawa, deep in the interior; also a famous
ramen town. It’s also the gateway for
Daisetsu-zan National Park, Japan’s largest national park
and a mostly untouched wilderness of dense
forest high in the mountains.
There are three villages on the perimeter of
the park:
Tokachidake Onsen, Asahidake
Onsen and Sōunkyō Onsen. All have hot
springs, lodging and good day treks. Don’t miss
Fukiage Roten-no-yu, near Tokachidake
Onsen, one of Japan’s best in-the-wild onsen.
It’s also worth spending a night at
Daisetsu
Kōgen Sansō, a truly remote mountain lodge.
Continue east to the World Heritage–listed
Shiretoko National Park, a spit of land
that Hokkaidō’s indigenous people, the Ainu,
referred to as ‘the end of the world’. There are
hikes here through primeval woods and more
hidden hot springs.
Akan National Park is most famous for its
startlingly clear blue caldera lakes,
Kussharo-ko and Mashū-Kussharo-ko. This is also the best place on
Hokkaidō to connect with Ainu culture,
start-ing with a visit to the village, Akan Kotan.
Finally head down to
Kushiro-shitsugen
National Park, home to the endangered
Japa-nese red-crowned crane. From
Kushiro it’s
easy work on the expressway back to New
Chi-tose Airport, south of Sapporo.
2
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The Wilds of Hokkaidō
VAR AND AH /SHUTTER ST OCK © VA S S AMON ANANS UKKA SEM /SHUTTER S TOCK ©
Top: Hiking, Asahi-dake (p631) Bottom: Ganso Ramen Yokochō (p601), Sapporo
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#÷
• • •÷
÷
÷
• • •• •÷
• Hokkaidō Shiretoko National Park Shikotsu-Toya National Park Daisetsuzan National Park Akan National Park Kushiro-shitsugen National Park Daisetsu Kōgen Sansō Tokachidake Onsen Fukiage Roten-no-yu Asahidake Onsen Sōunkyō Onsen Asahikawa Hakodate Kushiro Sapporo rUssIa45
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# # # # # # # # # # #
#
R# • • • • • • • • • • •f
• Amami Islands Okinawa Islands Ōsumi Islands PA C I F I CO C E A N East China Sea Kerama IslandsAso-sanKurokawa Onsen
Karatsu Naha Ibusuki Kumamoto Hirado Kagoshima Arita Yakushima Nagasaki Fukuoka Kyūshū sOUtH KOrea É É É ÉÉ É É
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Considered off the beaten track, Kyūshū
really delivers: it’s got vibrant cities, layers
of history, excellent onsen and smoking
volcanoes. If you’ve been to Japan before, or
want to see something totally different, this
trip is for you.
Fly into
Fukuoka from Tokyo and spend a day
getting to know this hip young city, famous for
its ramen. You can tour Kyūshū easily enough
by train – there’s a rail pass just for the island –
but it helps to have a car. This will come in
handy for working your way down the coast to
Nagasaki through the pottery towns,
Karatsu
and
Arita, with a detour to Hirado.
History, of course, weighs heavily on
Naga-saki, the second Japanese city destroyed by an
atomic bomb. But as Japan’s only truly open
port during the 200-year period of isolation in
the 17th to 19th centuries, Nagasaki has
cosmo-politan legacy that predates its historic tragedy
and lives on today in its food and architecture.
From Nagasaki cut into the heartland to
Kurokawa Onsen, one of Japan’s best onsen
towns, where you can stay in a ryokan.
Con-tinue south, past the active volcano
Aso-san (if
it’s calm, you can get close) and the castle town
Kumamoto (still recovering from a 2016
earth-quake) to
Kagoshima. This city at the tip of
the Shimabara Peninsula is known for
tonkatsu
(breaded and fried pork cutlets),
shōchū (strong
distilled liquor) and Sakurajima – the smoking
volcano that lords over the skyline. South of
Kagoshima are the hot sand baths of
Ibusuki.
Return the car and catch a speedboat from
Kagoshima to magical
Yakushima, an island
with primeval, moss-strewn forests and seaside
onsen. Make it an overnight trip (or longer –
there are great hiking options here).
Back in Kagoshima, take the slow ferry for an
epic overnight ride to Okinawa-hontō, the
larg-est of the Okinawa Islands. Spend a day or two
exploring the capital city
Naha, the former seat
of the Ryūkyū Empire, sipping fresh juice from
the market and getting your fill of island
delica-cies. From Naha, it’s a one-hour jet-foil ride to
the idyllic, palm-fringed
Kerama Islands –
where you can get your beach fix. Then catch a
flight back to Tokyo from Naha.
2
WEEKS
Kyūshū & Okinawa
AIDO /SHUTTER S TOCK © DR YADPHO TO S /SHUTTER S TOCK ©
Top: Waterfall, Yakushima (p787) Bottom: Kurokawa onsen (p750)
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# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • R Kyūshū Shikoku Tsu-shima Aso-san (1592m) Hagi Nara Himeji Izumo Hamada Usuki Shimonoseki Oita Kumamoto Fukui Kōbe Hiroshima Nagasaki Fukuoka Kyoto Osaka Wakayama Miyazaki Matsuyama Kōchi Tokushima Okayama Matsue Tottori Kagoshima OKI ISLANDS IYA VALLEY # • # •TAKACHIHO
Off the Beaten Track: Japan
## #
#
# # # # # # • • •_
• • • • • • Okinawa-hontō Tanegashima Yakushima Kyūshū Amakusa Islands Tokara Islands Yaeyama Islands Miyako Islands Amami Islands P A C I F I C O C E A N East China Sea Amami Hirara Ishigaki Nago Okinawa City Kagoshima Naha Miyazaki # • YONAGUNI-JIMA # • IRIOMOTE-JIMA # •See Southwest Islands Inset
0 400 km
0 200 miles
Southwest Islands
A few hours and a world away from the big cities of Kansai, Iya Valley has been called the ‘Shangri La of Japan’. Stay in a restored thatched-roof farmhouse and get a taste of traditional village life. (p679)
IYA VALLEY
On really clear days you can see Taiwan from Yonaguni-jima, Japan’s westernmost inhabited island. Divers come here to swim with hammerhead sharks and explore the mysterious ‘Atlantis of the Pacific’ ruins. (p827)
YONAGUNI-JIMA
Fringed by healthy coral reefs and covered with dense tropical jungle, the island of Iriomote-jima is one of Japan’s wildest places. (p823)
IRIOMOTE-JIMA
Sacred dances to the sun goddess are performed at an ancient shrine here deep in rural Kyūshū. (p751)
TAKACHIHO
A windblown spit of land once believed to be the end of this world, with a haunting temple and a pock-marked, volcanic landscape. (p557)
SHIMOKITA PENINSULA
Once a place of exile, these cliff-lined islands offer some spectacular scenery and a real feeling of getting away from it all. (p496)
OKI ISLANDS
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#
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• • • • • • • • • • • • R#
#
#
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÷
÷
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RUSSIA RUSSIA Okushiri-tō Honshū Hokkaidō Mt Fuji (3776m) Kakunodate Biei Hachinohe Nikkō Obihiro Shinjō Oshu Takikawa Abashiri Ise Sakata Kushiro Tsuruoka Otaru Hakodate Gifu Kanazawa Tsu Shizuoka Toyama Maebashi Mito Yokohama Utsunomiya Kōfu Akita Aomori Fukushima Morioka Yamagata Nagoya Nagano Sapporo Sendai Chiba Urawa Niigata TOKYO Towada-Hachimantai National Park Shikotsu-tōya National Park Akan National Park Daisetsuzan National Park Noto Peninsula P A C I F I C O C E A N Sea of Japan Sea of Okhotsk SADO-GA-SHIMA SHIRETOKO NATIONAL PARK RISHIRI-TŌ & REBUN-TŌ SHIMOKITA PENINSULA # •DEWA SANZAN 0 500 km 0 250 miles #e
D
Ogasawara Archipelago (500km)Almost as far north as you can go in Japan, these two islands burst into riotous blooms of wildflowers each year from May to August. They’re a true delight for hikers and photographers. (p639)
RISHIRI-TŌ & REBUN-TŌ
Complete the three-mountain hike that makes up this trail through the wilds of Yamagata, a favourite pilgrimage for the yamabushi (mountain priests). (p572)
DEWA SANZAN
An outpost of rugged mountains and coastline, each August this island rocks to the sound of the famous Kodō Drummers during the fabulous Earth Celebration. (p578)
SADO-GA-SHIMA
This is as far off the beaten track as you can get in Japan. A full 25½-hour ferry ride from Tokyo, these semitropical islands – complete with white sand beaches – feel like a different world. (p220)
OGASAWARA
ARCHIPELAGO
With no sealed roads and a healthy population of brown bears, Shiretoko is true wilderness. The rewards for tackling the tough trails here are long soaks in hot springs. (p648)
SHIRETOKO
NATIONAL PARK
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SEND US YOUR FEEDBACK
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911
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OUR READERS
Many thanks to the travellers who used the last edition and wrote to us with helpful hints, useful advice and interesting anecdotes:
Alexander Debkaliuk, Andrew Edwards, Ann Clancy, Benjamin Laine, Bernhard Leube, Chris Morgan, Christina Andersen, Jean-Francois Gilbert, Joris Coenen, Julie Landau, Margaret Chappell, Morgan Giles, Niall Christie, Nick Stevens, Nicolas Pouppart, Paul Gully, Petra O’Neill, Ray Dahlhoff, Sigrun Kölle, Travis Nelson, Tsuyoshi Jona.
WRITER THANKS
Rebecca Milner
Thank you to my family and friends, who are there for me through all the ups and downs and late nights; to my indefatigable co-author Simon, for his inspiration and guidance; to LP for standing by me; and to all the chefs, curators, professors, baristas and total strangers who knowingly or unknowingly provided me with new insight into this city, which I must also thank, for always keeping me on my toes.
Ray Bartlett
Thanks first and always to my family and amazing friends, for letting me go on these adventures and still remembering me when I get back. To the great editorial staff at LP for their wisdom and advice. To all people I met or who helped me along the way. Tamura-さん, Airi, Kurumi and Aya, Yamaguchi-さん, Ishikawa-さん, Saeki, Saika, Minori, Emi, Ōtani-さん,
Sakiko-さん, the lovely Linh, Watanabe Ayaka-さん... and so many other great people I met along the way. Thanks so much. Can’t wait to be back again soon.
Andrew Bender
Thanks to my excellent Kyushu spirit guides Yohko Scott, Sakaguchi Riho, Jeremy Chen, Fujiyoshi Jun, Horichi Shiori, Ide Masahiro, Kai Hiroshi, Kamimoto Eiko, Kono Shintaro, Kuroki Shinya, Matsukawa Akihiro, Sasaki Takeshi, Shibata Kayoko, Cameron Stadin, Takae Tomoko, Takatori Aki, Taniguchi Yukiko, Yamasaki Keiko and Yoshida Kenji, and LP staff mem-bers Laura Crawford, James Smart and Sarah Bailey, without whom none of this would have been possible.
Stephanie d’Arc Taylor
Thank you to the charming, clever and indefatigable Christine, who fed me soba as a child and gave me my first copy of the Inland Sea. Without your help I couldn’t have done this, or anything. Thank you to Chieko, Hidemasa, and to Teruko for saying that I use chopsticks better than Christine. Thank you to my LP mentors Lauren Keith, Laura Crawford, Rebecca Milner, Craig McLachlan and James Smart. Thank you to Bethan, who helped me prematurely celebrate this assignment.
Samantha Forge
Thank you to the wonderful people I met throughout Tōhoku for your knowledge, patience and boundless kindness. I have never drunk so many cups of tea in my life. Huge thanks also to the other Team Japan authors for their generosity and friendship, and to
Behind the Scenes
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
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everyone at LP who has had a hand in this project, especially the lovely Laura Crawford.
Craig McLachlan
A hearty thanks to all those who helped out on the road, but most of all, to my living kanji dictionary and exceptionally beautiful wife, Yuriko.
Kate Morgan
Thank you again to Laura Crawford for the opportu-nity to work on Osaka and Kyoto, and to Jen Carey for your help throughout. Huge thanks to Kengo Nakao from the Kyoto Tourist Information office for your assistance. Thanks to my parents for joining me in Kyoto and keeping up the research pace in the extreme heat! And to my friend Yuki and my fiancé Trent for great nights out, loads of food and rock bar shenanigans. Thanks also to all the inhouse staff at LP who make this book happen.
Thomas O’Malley
Thanks to my esteemed fellow authors Simon and Rebecca for assisting this Japan Guide noob in the ways of the road warrior. Thanks to Family Mart and its konbini cohorts for all those cut-price caf-feine hits on the road. Thanks to Mt Fuji for finally showing your beautiful face after days cloaked in cloud (I almost wept). Thanks to the two Ō-shima Island Aussies, Chloe and Caitlin. And thanks, as ever, to Ophelia.
Simon Richmond
Many thanks to co-writer Rebecca and to the following: Will Andrews, Toshiko Ishii, Kenichi, Giles Murray, Chris Kirkland, Shoji Kobayashi, Jun Onuma, Sabrina Suljevic, Ken Gail Kato, Toyokuni Honda, Tim Hornyak and Tomoko Yoshizawa.
Phillip Tang
Warm thanks to patient tourism staffers and trav-ellers who shared their experiences. Thanks Laura Crawford for having me again; Japan will miss you. Thanks to ‘David’ Tong Wai Chung for skewers and whiskey highballs in Okayama, and tips on Izumo. Huge thanks to Chizu Otsuka at Tomato in Hiroshima. In Tokyo, arigato Nic for craft beers and ‘life’ talks; and Ayako for incredible chicken, weird waiters and Korean ‘husbands’. Thanks in spirit to Vek Lewis for running guidance.
Benedict Walker
Big thanks as always to my Japanese ‘family’ the Shimizus for their continued friendship and fun, to Laura Crawford for keeping me on the team, to James Smart for his patience at submission time, to Taku Yamada and Kei Nakamura for your guid-ance and advice; to Cheryl, Bruce, Jess and Casey for being very sticky soul-glue; to Mum and the Walkers for watching over me from afar, and to my brother Andy for coming through with the goods and shining like a beacon of inspiration when I least expected it. To the resilient people of these remote island communities, where mother nature rules: you’ve forever won a place in my heart: ganbarō!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Climate map data adapted from Peel MC, Finlayson BL & McMahon TA (2007) ‘Updated World Map of the Köppen-Geiger Climate Classification’,
Hydrol-ogy and Earth System Sciences, 11, 1633–44.
Cover photograph: Red-crowned cranes (p660), Hokkaido, Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock ©.
THIS BOOK
This 16th edition of Lonely Planet’s Japan guidebook was researched and written by Rebecca Milner, Ray Bartlett, Andrew Bender, Samantha Forge, Thomas O’Malley, Craig McLachlan, Kate Morgan, Simon Richmond, Phillip Tang, Stephanie d’Arc Taylor, Benedict Walker. The previous edition was written by Rebecca Milner, Ray Bartlett, Andrew Bender, Craig McLachlan, Kate Morgan, Simon Richmond, Tom Spurling, Phillip Tang,
Benedict Walker and Wendy Yanagihara. This guidebook was produced by the following:
Destination Editors Laura
Crawford, James Smart
Senior Product Editor Kate
Chapman
Product Editor Shona Gray Senior Cartographer Diana
Von Holdt
Assisting Cartographers
Michael Garrett, Alison Lyall
Book Designer Mazzy Prinsep Assisting Editors Sarah
Bailey, Andrew Bain, James Bainbridge, Judith Bamber,
Heather Champion, Samantha Cook, Lucy Cowie, Emma Gibbs, Carly Hall, Victoria Har-rison, Lauren O’Connell, Kristin Odijk, Gabrielle
Stefanos, Ross Taylor, Simon Williamson
Cover Researcher Brendan
Dempsey-Spencer
Thanks to Naoko Akamatsu,
William Allen, Jennifer Carey, Gwen Cotter, Liz Heynes, Kate James, Elizabeth Jones, Campbell McKenzie, Virginia Moreno, Wayne Murphy, Kirsten Rawlings, Brad Smith
913
Index
Map Pages 000 Photo Pages 000 88 Temples of Shikoku 670, 672-3A
Abashiri 645-7 Abeno Harukas 375 accessible travel 880 accommodation 26, 59,880-2, see also
individ-ual locations etiquette 877-8 language 904 ryokan 13, 876 shukubō 425, 877 traditional accommodation 876-8 activities 55-65, see
also individual activities, individual locations Age of Courtiers 834-7 Aikawa 578 aikido 875 Ainokura 259 Ainu language 606 Ainu museums
Ainu Folklore Museum 654
Hakodate Museum of Northern Peoples 620 Hokkaidō Museum of
Northern Peoples 646 Kawamura Kaneto Ainu Memorial Hall 626-7 Museum of Ainu Folklore 658 Ainu people 653 Ainu villages 654 air travel airports 890-1 passes & discounts 891-2 to/from Japan 890-1 within Japan 891-2 Aizu-Wakamatsu 585-7
Aka-jima 808-9 Akan National Park 654-60,
656-7 Akanko Onsen 654-7 Akita 558-62, 561 Akita Komaga-take 564 Akita Prefecture 558-66, 559 Allied occupation 846 ama 438 Amami Islands 793-8 Amami-Ōshima 794-7, 795 Amanohashidate 449-50 Amaterasu 755 Amerika-Mura 373-4 amusement parks 81 Fuji-Q Highland 174 Kawasaki Warehouse 181 Sky Circus 120-1 Tokyo Disney Resort 120 Tokyo Joypolis 121 Universal Studios Japan
379-80 Anan Coast 675-9 ancient Japan 832-4 ancient sites 787 animals, see wildlife anime 859-60 Ghibli Museum 110 Mandarake Complex 97 Miyazaki Hayao 110 Annupuri 605 Aomori 547-50, 549 Aomori Prefecture 547-58, 548 Aoshima 780-1 aquariums 376-7, 807 archaeological sites &
museums Hagi-jō 514 Ichijōdani Asakura Clan
Ruins 275
Saitobaru Archaeological Museum 775 Saitobaru Burial Mounds
Park 775 Sannai Maruyama 547-8
Sendai Castle ruins 525 Takayama-jō 247 The Museum,
Archae-ological Institute of Kashihara 415 Tokushima-jō 666 Tsukuriyama-kofun 478 Tsuwano-jō 511 Uegusuku Castle Ruins
810-11 Uenohara Jōmon no Mori 775 architects Ando, Tadao 99, 112, 390, 481, 560, 866 Itō Toyō 112, 473, 474, 526 Kuma, Kengo 99, 111, 112, 138, 197, 733, 866 Kurokawa Kishō 99, 696 Pei, IM 440 Ryue Nishizawa 112, 484 Sejima Kazuyo 112 Tange Kenzō 109, 458, 865-6
Wright, Frank Lloyd 147, 236, 866 architecture 864-6
gasshō-zukuri 258 machiya 355
Matsumoto Open-Air Ar-chitectural Museum 281 Meiji-mura 236 museums 473 Tokyo 112 area codes 887 Arita 726-7 arriving in Japan 25 art festivals 858 art galleries & art museums,
see also craft & folk
art museums, design museums
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art 264 Adachi Museum of Art
504
Akita Museum of Art 560 Anno Art Museum 511
Aomori Museum of Art 547
Art House Project 479-80 Asakura Museum of
Sculpture, Taitō 101 Benesse House Museum
481
Chichū Art Museum 481 Chihiro Art Museum
Azumino 286 Enoura Observatory 190 Fujiyama Art Museum 174 Fukuoka Asian Art
Museum 716 Ghibli Museum 110 Ginza Graphic Gallery 97 Ginza Maison Hermès Le
Forum 97 Hagi Uragami Museum
514 Hagi-jō Kiln 514 Hakone Museum of
Art 193
Hakone Open-Air Museum 193
Hida Takayama Museum of Art 247 Higashiyama Kaii
Setouchi Art Museum 707
Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art 459 Hokkaidō Museum of
Modern Art 597 Hokusai Museum 299 Ikuo Hirayama Museum of
Art 473 Inujima Seirensho Art
Museum 483 Ishikawa Wajima Urushi
Art Museum 271-2 Ishinomori Mangattan
Museum 532 Japan Ukiyo-e Museum
281
Kamakura National Treas-ure Museum 187 Kubota Itchiku Art
Museum 175
914
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art galleries & art museums, continued
Kutaniyaki Porcelain Art Museum 274 Kyoto International
Manga Museum 320-1 Kyoto Ukiyo-e Museum
320
Kyūshū Ceramic Mu-seum 726 Lee Ufan Museum 481 Matsumoto City Museum
of Art 281 Miho Museum 440 Mizuki Shigeru Museum
496
MOA Museum of Art 197 Mori Art Museum 98-9 Morijuku Museum 510 Nagasaki Prefectural Art
Museum 733 Nagoya/Boston Museum
of Fine Arts 229 Narukawa Art Museum
196
National Art Center Tokyo 99 National Museum of
Modern Art 327 National Museum of
Modern Art (MOMAT) 95-6
Neiraku Art Museum 408 Niigata City Art Museum
575
Ōhara Museum of Art 488
Okada Museum of Art 192 Otsuka Museum of
Art 675 Pola Museum of Art
193-5 Reihōkan 424 RIAS Ark Museum of
Art 543
Rokuzan Bijutsukan 286 Sado Hanga-mura
Museum 578 SCAI the Bathhouse 105 Shimane Prefectural Art
Museum 500 Shiseido Gallery 97 Shoko Kanazawa Museum 206 Suntory Museum of Art 99
Takai Kōzan Kinenkan 300
Takamatsu City Museum of Art 703 Takayama Museum of
History & Art 249 teamLab Borderless
117-18 Teshima Art Museum
484
Teshima Yokoo House 484
Tokoro Museum 473 Tokugawa Art Museum
228
Tokushima Modern Art Museum 668 Tokyo Metropolitan Teien
Art Museum 115 Tokyo National Museum
100 TOP Museum 115 Tsuboya Pottery Museum 801 Ukiyo-e Ōta Memorial
Museum of Art 111 ‘Umi’ Museum of Contemporary Art 306 Utsukushi-ga-hara Open Air Museum 282 Yamaguchi Prefectural Art Museum 508 Yayoi Kusama Museum
109 Yokohama Museum of Art 179 artists Asakura Fumio 101 Iwasaki Chihiro 286 Hokusai 299 Kusama Yayoi 109 Miyazaki Hayao 110 Noguchi Isamu 598 Sugimoto Hiroshi 190 arts 854-63 bunraku 388, 667, 862 butō 860 calligraphy 855, 857 haiku 855 ikebana 858 kabuki 153, 699, 709, 862 nō 154, 860-2 painting 855-6 shikki 855 shodō 855, 857 ukiyo-e 857-8 Asahidake Onsen 631-4 Asahikawa 626-8 Ashikaga Shoguns 837-8 Ashizuri-misaki 690 Aso-san 746-50, 748 Asuka 415-17 Atami 197-8 ATMs 886
Atomic Bomb Dome 458 atomic bombs Hiroshima 455-8 Nagasaki 730, 731 autumn leaves 52, 53 awamori 805 Azumino 286-7
B
baggage forwarding 890 Bandai Plateau 587-8, 588 baseball 81, 155, 388, 602, 874 Bashō, Matsuo 567 bathhouses 64, 121, 122,497, see also onsen bathrooms 888 beaches Boraga Beach 814 Chichi-jima 221 Eef Beach 811 Furuzamami Beach 810 Fusaki Beach Aqua
Garden 820 Goishi Kaigan 544 Hate-no-hama 811 Higashi-hama 494 Hoshisuna-no-hama 823 Ida-no-hama 823 Iso-hama 765 Jodogahama Beach 546-7 Kabira Bay 820 Kaiji-hama 825 Koigaura-hama 781 Kondoi Beach 826 Makidani 494 Nagahama-kaigan 792 Nagamahama 814 Nagata Inaka-hama 788 Nagomi-no-tō 826 Nakanoshima Beach 816 Nishibama Beach 809 Nishihama 826 Oganeku-kaigan 797 Sakibaru Beach 794 Shinri-hama 811 Sunayama Beach 813 Sunset Beach 817 Takezaki-kaigan 792 Tatami-ishi 811 Terasaki-kaigan 797 Toguchi-no-hama 816 Tomori-kaigan 794 Tsuki-ga-hama 824 Uradome 494 Yonaha-Maehama Beach 814 Yonehara Beach 820 beer 77, 398, 669, see also
breweries Beppu 754-60, 756, 758,
760
accommodation 755-7 activities 755 drinking & nightlife
758-9 food 757-8 shopping 759 sights 754-5 tourist information 759 travel to/from 759 travel within 759-60 Bessho Onsen 304-5 bicycle travel 892, see
cy-cling, mountain biking Biei 628-9, 632 Bihoro Pass 658 Blakiston Line 645 boat tours Abashiri 646 Chūzen-ji Onsen 218 Dōgashima 205 Geibi Gorge 538 Hozu-gawa river 349 Ine 450 Iriomote-jima 824 Kagoshima 765 Kumano Kodō 431 Kume-jima 811 Matsue 501 Matsushima 531 Naruto Whirlpool Sightseeing Boats 675 Osaka 380 Otaru 611 Shimanto City 689 Shimokita Peninsula 557 Shiretoko National Park 652 Tokushima 668 boat travel 892-3, see also
boat tours, ferry travel Akita 561 Amami-Ōshima 796 Aomori 550 Beppu 759 Fukuoka 722 Hakodate 624 Hiroshima 464 Hokkaidō 594 Ishigaki-jima 823 Izu Islands 207 Kagoshima 770 Kasaoka Islands 490 Map Pages 000 Photo Pages 000
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Kerama Islands 808 Kii Peninsula 419 Kōbe 398, 399 Kumamoto 746 Matsushima 532 Matsuyama 698 Miyajima 468 Miyazaki 780 Nagoya 235 Naha 805 Naoshima 483 Niigata 577 Oki Islands 497 Okinawa & theSouthwest Islands 786 Onomichi 471 Osaka 391 Otaru 612 Sendai 530 Shikoku 668 Shimoda 203 Shimokita Peninsula 558 Shimonoseki 520 to/from Japan 891 Takamatsu 705 Tokushima 671 Wakkanai 638 within Japan 892-3 Yakushima 791 books 459, 830 breweries A-Factory 549-50 Andō Brewery 562 Hakubotan 468 Ide Sake Brewery 176 Kamotsuru 468 Kirin Beer Yokohama
Factory 181 Kyoto Brewing Company
358-9 Oriental Brewing 267 Sapporo Biergarten 602 bridges Kazura-bashi 680 Megane-bashi 733 Nakashima-gawa Bridges 733 Oku Iya Ni-jū
Kazura-bashi 682 Ōnaruto-hashi 675 Buddhist sites Daibutsu (Kamakura) 184-5 Daibutsu (Nara) 14, 403, 14 Kumano Magaibutsu 762 Buddhist temples, see also Kyoto temples,
individ-ual temples 88 Temples of Shikoku 670, 672-3 Amanohashidate 449 Bessho Onsen 305 Butsumoku-ji 702 Byōdō-in 319 Chikurin-ji 687 Chion-in 322 Chūzen-ji Onsen 218 Dainichi-ji 671 Daitoku-ji 327-30 Eikan-dō 326 Fuki-ji 763 Fukui 275-6 Futago-ji 762-3 Garan 422, 43 Gifu 239 Ginkaku-ji 325-6 Giō-ji 338 Gokuraku-ji 671 Gōshō-ji 706 Hagi 514 Higashi Hongan-ji 318 Hiraizumi 537 Hōnen-in 327 Hongū 430 Hōryū-ji 413-14 Hotsumisaki-ji 678-9 Ikuchi-jima 473 Ishite-ji 691 Iwato Kannon-dō 613 Iwaya-ji 691 Jinne-in 711 Jizō-ji 671 Kaga Onsen 274 Kamakura 185-6, 187 Kanazawa 264 Kanon-ji 711 Kennin-ji 325 Kimpusen-ji 417-18 Kinkaku-ji 334, 37, 54 Kiyomizu-dera 321-2 Kōdai-ji 323 Konchi-in 327 Kongōfuku-ji 690 Konsen-ji 671 Kōtō-in 330 Kōya-san 422-4 Kurama 445 Maki Ōdō 763 Mano 582 Matsushima 531 Miyajima 465 Myōshin-ji 334-5 Nachi-Katsuura 434 Nagano 294 Nagoya 229 Nanzen-ji 326 Nara 403, 407-8 Narita 219 Nishi Hongan-ji 318 Noto Peninsula 271 Noto-kongō Coast 271 Ōhara 443-4 Ōkubo-ji 708 Oku-no-in 422 Osaka 374-5 Ōtsu 440 Ryōan-ji 334 Ryōzen-ji 671 Ryūkō-ji 702 Saihō-ji 336-7 Sanjūsangen-dō Temple 323 Sensō-ji 105, 130 Shikoku 679 Shimoda 201 Shimokita Peninsula 557 Shōfuku-ji 716 Shōren-in 322-3 Shusshaka-ji 708 Shuzen-ji 206 Sōfuku-ji 733 Tairyū-ji 678 Taizō-ji 763 Takaoka 278 Takao-san 210 Tenryū-ji 337 Tō-ji 318 Tōdai-ji 403, 404-5 Tomo-no-ura 491 Tōshōdai-ji 414-15 Unpen-ji 711 Yakuō-ji 676 Yakuri-ji 706 Yakushi-ji 414 Yamadera 569 Yamaguchi 507 Yashima-ji 706 Zenkō-ji 294, 257 Zentsū-ji 708 budget 25, 82-3, 884 Bujō-ji 444 bullet trains 897 bungy jumping 310 bunraku 388, 667, 862 bus travel 893 passes 894 business hours 886, 896 butō 860 Byōdō-in 319
C
cable cars & ropeways Asahi-dake Ropeway 633-4 Bijodaira 277 Bizan Ropeway 666 Furano 629 Gifu 239 Hakkōda-san 556 Hakone Ropeway 195 Ishizuchi-san 698 Kachi-Kachi Yama Ropeway 176 Kanka Gorge 485 Kanonji 711 Kitanomine Gondola 629 Kōbe 394 Komagatake Ropeway 242 Kuro-dake 634-5 Matsuyama 691 Misen 465 Nagasaki Ropeway 736 Oku-Tama 211 Ontake-san 245 Sapporo 597 Shimonoseki 518 Shin-Hotaka Ropeway 254 Tairyū-ji 678 Tanigawa-dake Ropeway 309 Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route 277, 256 Tsurugi-san 684 Unzen 742 Usu-zan 618 Yashima 706 Zaō Onsen 569-70 calligraphy 855, 857 canyoning Iya Valley 683 Niseko 606 Uwajima 701-2 car & motorcycle travel
893-6 car hire 893-4 hitch-hiking 896 insurance 895 language 894 castles & palaces 22
Gifu-jō 239 Gujō Hachiman-jō 241 Himeji-jō 399-400, 23 Hirosaki-jō 551 Hiroshima-jō 458 Imperial Palace 93-5 Inuyama-jō 236 Karatsu-jō 723-4 Kōchi-jō 685 Kumamoto-jō 743 Kyoto Imperial Palace
330-1, 335 Marugame-jō 707
916
IN
D
EX
E
castles & palaces, continued Matsue-jō 499-500 Matsumoto-jō 281 Matsuyama-jō 691 Nagoya-jō 228-9 Nijō-jō 319 Okayama-jō 475 Osaka-jō 371 Sendai Castle Ruins 525 Sentō Imperial Palace
331 Shimabara-jō 740 Shuri-jō 799 Takamatsu-jō 703 Tsuwano-jō 511 Tsurumaru-jō 765 Uwajima-jō 701 cathedrals, see churches
& cathedrals caves Ama-no-Yasukawara 752 Dōgashima 205 Fugaku Fuketsu 177 Genbudō 451 Gohyakurakan 506 Goishi Kaigan 544 Ikuchi-jima 473 Kamakura 186 Matsuyama 691 Megijima 483 Miyako 546 Narusawa Hyōketsu 177 Oki Islands 498 Sai-ko Kōmoriana 177 Jōzankei 613 Tōri-ike 816 cell phones 24, 887-8 cemeteries 101 Central Hokkaidō 604-19 Central Honshū 224-312, 226-7 accommodation 224 climate 224, 225 food 224 highlights 226 travel seasons 224 Central Japan Alps 242 ceramics 726 cherry-blossom viewing 14, 33, 51, 2, 14 Chiburi-jima 498 Chichibu 210-11 Chichi-jima 221-2 Chiiori 682
children, travel with 80-1 Kyoto 326 Tokyo 127 China occupation 844-5 Chion-in 322 Chiran 774-5 Chōkoku-no-Mori 192-3 Chōmon Gōrge 511 Christianity 839 churches & cathedrals
Orthodox Church (Hakodate) 620 Ōura Cathedral 735 St Francis Xavier Memorial Church 507 Tsuwano Catholic Church 510 Urakami Cathedral 730 Chūson-ji 537 Chūzen-ji Onsen 217-18 cinema 859 climate 24, 882-3 climbing, see also hiking
Ishizuchi-san 698 Kamikōchi 289 Mt Fuji 170, 171 Ontake-san 245 Tanigawa-dake 310 Yōtei-zan 607 consulates 883-4 contemporary art 858-9 cormorant fishing 238 costs 25, 82-3, 884 courses cooking 124-6, 249, 340, 342, 709 crafts 124, 125, 815 ikebana 125 wagashi 125 craft & folk art museums
Ainokura Minzoku-kan 260 Amuse Museum 106 Beppu Traditional
Bam-boo Crafts Centre 754 Crafts Gallery 96 Fureai-Kan Kyoto
Museum of Traditional Crafts 327 Hida Folk Village 247 Ino Japanese Paper
Museum 687 Ishikawa Prefectural
Museum of Traditional Products & Crafts 268 Kayabuki Art Museum &
Folk Museum 448 Kinosaki Strawcraft
Museum 451 Kusakabe Folk Museum
247
Nakazato Tarōemon 724 Ogi Folk Museum 578-9 Sanuki Folkcraft Museum
703 Uchiwa-no-Minato
Museum 707 crafts, see also individual
crafts Ainu people 653 courses 815 Kanazawa 268 Kyūshū 726 museums 196, 451, 562, 703 shopping 240, 251, 285, 362, 364 cranes 660 credit cards 886 culture 848-53 currency 24 customs regulations 883 cycling 65, 81, 892, 64 Aso-san 747 Kibi 478 Osaka 380 Shimanami Kaidō 470, 696 Shimanto City 689 Tokyo 123, 126 Tōno 540
D
Daibutsu (Nara) 14, 403, 14 Daimonji-yama 340 Daisen 495Daisetsu Kōgen Onsen 636 Daisetsuzan National Park 631-7, 632-3, 622-3 Daitoku-ji 327-30 dance awa odori 126, 668 butō 860 geisha 361 kagura 752, 754 tetsuya odori 240
dangers, see safety Dazaifu 722-3 demographics 831, 848-50 design museums 21_21 Design Sight 99-100 d47 Museum 113 Design Festa 113 International Design Centre Nagoya 229 Dewa Sanzan 572-4 disabilities, travellers with 880 discount cards 883 distilleries 576 diving 64 Anan Coast 676 Dōzen Islands 498 Haha-jima 223 Ishigaki-jima 820 Itō 200 Miyako-jima 815 Motobu Peninsula 807 Naha 801 Southwest Islands 798 Yonaguni-jima 827 Dōgashima 205-6 Dōgo 497-8 Dōtombori 373 Dōyama-chō 387 Dōzen Islands 498-9 drinking & nightlife 77-8,
see also individual locations drinks 76-9 awamori 805 beer 77, 398, 669 language 906 sake 54, 76-7, 576, 578 shōchū 770 tea 77
driving, see car & motorcy-cle travel
driving licenses 894
E
earthquakes Great East Japan
Earthquake 533, 586 Great Kantō Earthquake
179 Kōbe Earthquake 393 eastern Hokkaidō 645-61 Echigo-Yuzawa Onsen 582-4 eco tourism 682 economy 846-7 Edo period 840-2 Ehime Prefecture 691-702 Eikan-dō 326 electricity 883 embassies 883-4 emergencies 25 language 906 Emperor Akihito 830 Enoshima 186 Enoura Observatory 190 environment 868-72 etiquette 27, 67 events, see festivals &
events exchange rates 25 Map Pages 000
917
IN
D
EX
F-H
F
female travellers 889 Ferris wheels 379, 804 ferry travel 393, 520, 594, 639festivals & events 22, 32-5,
see also individual events Abashiri 646 Akita 560 Aomori 548 Asahikawa 627 Dewa Sanzan 573 Fuji-Yoshida 174 Fukuoka 716 Hagi 515 Haguro-san 573 Hakodate 621 Hida-Furukawa 252 Hirosaki 551 Hiroshima 459 Inuyama 237 Ise-shima 436-7 Izumo 504-5 Kakunodate 562 Kanazawa 265 Kōbe 394 Kōchi 687 Kōya-san 424 Kyoto 342 Matsue 501 Matsumoto 283 Miyajima 466 Mt Fuji 174 Nachi-Katsuura 434 Naeba 584 Nagasaki 736 Nagoya 231-2 Naha 801 Naoshima 481 Nara 408 Narita 219 Nikkō 215 Noto Peninsula 272 Nozawa Onsen 301 Osaka 380 Ōtsu 440-2 Sado-ga-shima 579 Saijō 468 Sapporo 599 Sendai 526-7 Shimonoseki 518-19 Takachiho 752 Takayama 249 Tōhoku 546 Tokushima 668 Tokyo 126 Tsuwano 511 Wajima 272 Yokohama 181-2 films 830, 859 fishing
Akan National Park 655 Amami-Ōshima 794 cormorant fishing 238 Matsushima 531 Sado-ga-Shima 579 Yonaguni-jima 827 folk art museums, see craft
& folk art museums folk tales 542 food 13, 66-76, 68 etiquette 67 Hokkaidō specialities 625 izakaya 69 jingisukan 609 kaiseki 70 kaiten-sushi 385 Kanazawa specialities 267 kappō-ryōri 385 kushikatsu 385 Kyoto specialities 351 language 67, 70, 904-6 Matsue specialities 503 Nagoya specialities 233 okonomiyaki 74, 385, 75 onsen cooking 759 onsen tamago 742 Osaka specialities 385 ramen 71, 600, 78 seasonal specialities 66 Shinshū 295 shōjin-ryōri 70, soba 72, 73 sushi 71 Takamatsu specialities 703 takoyaki 385 teishoku 69 Tōhoku specialities 530 tonkatsu 72 tempura 72 tuna 558 udon 72 uni 639 wagashi 74, 351, 353 whale 433 yakitori 71 yatai 720 food markets Aomori 549 Hakodate 620 Kamaishi 545 Kanazawa 264-5 Kuromon Ichiba 374 Niigata 576 Nishiki Market 319-20 Osaka 389 Shimonoseki 517 Takayama 251 Tokyo 96, 118-19, 141 Tsukiji Market 96 free attractions 83 Fuji Five Lakes 169-78 Fuji-Yoshida 173-5 Fukui 275-6 Fukuji Onsen 254 Fukuoka 713-22, 718 accommodation 716-17 baseball 721 discount cards 722 drinking & nightlife 720 entertainment 720-1 festivals & events 716 food 717-20 shopping 721 sights 713-16 tourist information 721 transport to/from 721 travel within 722 Fukushima nuclear incident
586 Fukushima Prefecture 585-8 Fuku-ura-jima 531 Furano 629-31, 632 Fushimi Inari-Taisha 315, 2
G
galleries, see art galleries & art museums Garan 422-3 gardens 866-7, see also parks Fukuoka 716 Himeji 400 Hiraizumi 537-8 Hirosaki 550-1 Hiroshima 458-9 Inuyama 236 Kagoshima 764-5 Kanazawa 264 Kōbe 394 Kumamoto 744 Kyoto 331 Matsuyama 691 Nagasaki 735 Nagoya 228 Naha 801 Nara 408 Okayama 474-5 Sapporo 598 Tokyo 95, 96, 98 gasshō-zukuri 258 gay travellers 153, 387, 885 Geibi Gorge 538 geisha 361, 863, 346, 854 Genpei War 836-7 Gifu 238-40 Ginkaku-ji 325-6 Ginzan Onsen 571 Giō-ji 338 Gion 322 Gion Matsuri 33 go-karting 125 Gokayama 255-8, 259-60 gold leaf 268 Gōra 192-3 gorges 747, 752, 695 Gujō-Hachiman 240-1 Gunkanjima 738 Gunma Prefecture 307-12
H
Hachijō-jima 209-10 Hagi 513-17, 515 Haha-jima 222-3 haiku 855 Hakkōda-san 556-7 Hakodate 619-25, 621, 622-3 Hakone 189-97, 194 Hakone-machi 196-7 Hakone-Yumoto 191-2 Hakuba 290-3 Hakui 270 hanami 14, 33, 51, 2, 14 Hanazono 605 Haneda Airport 892 Hashima (Gunkanjima) 738 Hateruma-jima 826-7 health 884 Hearn, Patrick Lafcadio502 Heian-kyō 834-6 Heisei era 847 Hida region 246-60 Hida-Furukawa 252 hiking 59-61, see also climbing 88 Temple Pilgrimage 670 Akita Komaga-take 564 Aokigahara Forest 177-8 Asahi-dake 631-2, 44-5 Aso-san 749 Bandai Plateau 587 Central Japan Alps 242 Daibutsu Hiking Course
187
